“When we announced the release date of BioShock Infinite in March, we felt pretty good about the timing. Since then, we've come to realise that some specific tweaks and improvements will make Infinite into something even more extraordinary.

“I won't kid you: BioShock Infinite is a very big game, and we're doing things that no one has ever done in a first-person shooter. We had a similar experience with the original BioShock, which was delayed several months as our original ship date drew near.”

“The great can be made greater, and we owe it to both ourselves and to you, our fans, to take this opportunity,” he said.

Unfortunately, this also means BioShock Infinite won’t be present at E3 or Gamescom, as preparing for those events takes time away from development, said Levine.

“That way, the next time you see our game, it will be essentially the product we intend to put in the box.”